US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping raised a toast to the friendship between the United States and China during a lavish state dinner at the White House on Thursday, September 24. The dinner came after a day of talks between the two leaders, with trade, artificial intelligence and other areas of US-China relations remaining important issues between Washington and Beijing.
During his toast, Trump said that he and Xi understood that the two countries represent different political systems, but stressed the enduring ties between their people. Trump said the two leaders had “never gotten along better” and highlighted the relationship between the American and Chinese people.
Trump also presented Xi with a bald eagle sculpture, which he said he had designed himself along with First Lady Melania Trump. The gesture was part of the ceremonial exchanges at the state dinner, which brought together government officials, members of the two countries’ delegations and prominent business leaders.
Xi, in his remarks, spoke about the importance of the US-China relationship and called on the two countries to work as responsible major powers. He said the two sides had reached common understandings on a number of issues and called for a new approach to relations between the two countries. He concluded his remarks with a toast to the friendship between the American and Chinese peoples.
The dinner also included a symbolic reference to the history of US-China diplomacy. Guests toasted with Schramsberg “Blanc De Noir” sparkling wine, the same American wine associated with the 1972 “Toast to Peace” between US President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing. The White House said the choice was intended to honour that historic moment in bilateral relations.
The warm tone of the dinner followed a day of high-level meetings between Trump and Xi. While the leaders emphasised cooperation and their personal relationship, the broader US-China relationship continues to involve differences over trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and other strategic issues.